Best towing/ heavy duty suspension?

[Masstowingllc]

I want am gonna start using my truck to tow a 5th wheel trailer and eventually make it into a repo wrecker and wondering what I should do for suspension?

[mcmlxix]

You dont say what truck you have now... but I would say rear leaf springs with helper air bags...

[Masstowingllc]

Oh sorry I have a 1972 chevy c30

[Masstowingllc]

I am gonna be towing a 5th wheel 2 or 3 car trailer

[capev86]

A 72 C30 should have:

front disc brakes (all 1971+ trucks got them)
big rear drums
full float rear axle
big brake booster
big master cylinder

all the same goodies that are on my 72 Suburban C20, although my truck only has the H052 with coil springs\trailing arms located by a track bar (beefier than the c10 gets), whereas your truck should have the higher rated HO72 on leaf springs (even 2wd 1 tons only got leafs).

[Prematuregrey]

I would go with a combination of Firestone air bags and a set of Timbren bump stops. Set it up to primarily use the bags under load and have the Timbrens just making contact once loaded. That way the Timbrens will assist over bumps and keep you from having to put too much air in the bags making for a rough ride. I would recommend having an on board compressor as well, it can be a hassle without. If you've never heard of Timbren bump stops, they are great little things that replace factory bump stops and provide overload assistance. They have an amazing capacity and when installed properly don't effect the ride like add-a-leafs do and once installed there is no maintenance needed. I've installed and used them on many vehicles and recommend them for heavy hauling. They may even do the trick for you without needing the air bag set-up.

http://timbren.com/

[Masstowingllc]

I have drum brakes all around! I haven't looked at leaf springs or shocks but I think the shocks are shot so I would like to change out shocks but I didn't know the airbag shocks could handle heavy weight I am gonna be having a 3 car trailer on a 5th wheel on the back and I am gonna install a repo wheel lift under bed so I can tow cars, or pull my car trailer or any trailer at that. I would prefer a airless heavy duty shock on the inexpensive side, I am gonna be adding timbrens I know all about them they are awesome I like them that is gonna be one of the first things I add for suspension! Right now I have single rear wheels but I am gonna see if I can put a extra wheel to make it dual rear wheels it lookalike the studs are long enough like it was a dual wheel and someone just took off one of the wheels! Even if studs aren't long enough I might just get longr studs and replace studs and get 2 wheels and make it a dually! I don't want to change whole Rearend it could get expensive!

[Prematuregrey]

I wasn't talking about "air shocks", but air helper springs. I don't think air shocks are very load supporting especially if you are planning on using the factory shock mounts. If you are replacing the shocks, go with a set of Bilstien 5125's. As for your idea of just putting another set of wheels on the rear, if it wasn't a dually to begin with I don't think your idea will work. I've always liked the "hidden" duals personally, they don't have the extended fenders. The rear end is shortened a little bit and I think the inner bed fenders would have to be tubbed. I've converted a few trucks to duallies from single axle and vice versa, it's not as easy as you would think and most cases require an axle change out so do some research before you jump into that direction. If your planning on hauling a 3 car hauler gooseneck trailer like a Take 3 trailer why not just buy a good used 1 ton diesel? I used to build Take 3 Trailers for years as well as do their custom truck accessories and will tell you that a single axle truck will only haul them for so long before you start having problems.

On the subject of Take 3, you should look into them for everything you are talking about. One of the late owner's son's used to have a repo/towing business and I helped him put a hide away repo set up on his late 90's F350, it was pretty slick. As well as their Bolt Hitch set-up for Ford trucks which puts a 25k lb capacity setup in the bed that is swappable from gooseneck ball to 10" 5th wheel in no time flat. Plus, I feel their trailers are the best on the market for what your a talking about. I am a bit biased though since I grew up with the sons of the late owner and hold the whole family in high regards as well as worked for them for several years building at least a couple hundred of their trailers. If you do talk with them, tell any one of the Hord family that Ethan said hello, I haven't been by there in several years.

http://www.take3trailers.com/

[Masstowingllc]

Wow that is very helpful info thank yoy. Yea I am not gonna be using the truck and trailer all the time. I am l own a 1985 chevy c60 ranp truck with a 454 I use for towing but I want to have a wrecker also. And I already have this 1972 chevy c30 pickup I just wasnt sure if I needed it to have dual wheels or not to use it as a wrecker or to tow a 5th wheel trailer? I am planning on putting a turbo diesel in the ramp truck and tbe pickup eventually when I can afford to get engines and do swaps! I am getting a old 5th wheel camper frame with tandem axels and electric brakes its 40' right now its just a frame and I am trading a go kart for it so I need to weld a deck on it, put fenders on, make ramps, and wire taillights. So its cheap and affordable for now but if I do buy one I will consider take 3 I have seen them and they look awesome. I need to make sure axels and suspension on traiker are gonna be strong enough for what I will have on it but that I need to worry about way down the road!!

[Prematuregrey]

I've seen a Take 3 trailer with 2 backhoes on it one time. They used to modify standard 8k axles with C channel to make them stronger but not sure if they still do it. That was kind of a proprietary thing. Your probably gonna have to do some serious modification to a camper trailer frame to make it strong enough especially in the neck area. Those things are designed to be real light and not really set up for carrying loads. Consider that the whole camper trailer only weighed maybe 8-10k while a car hauler trailer will out weigh that and still carry an additional 20k plus with 3 cars on it.

Weldon Hord, the original owner, was a smart man and designed those trailers well. He died a few years back in a plane crash and I believe the company is still run overall by his middle son, Richard, but a part of me wants to say that he may be over the truck accessory side of things now with the trailer shop being run by the old manager. Like I said, I haven't been that way in a long time. I remember times when me and his oldest son where spraying trailers on the lawn of the their house that was in a golf course neighborhood. Either way, if your serious about hauling cars, they are the guys to start with.

[Masstowingllc]

Axels and leaf springs aren't much to swap them out and the deck I just need to get some metal. So I think it might be worth fixing up. The guy said it was tall and big and has a heavy duty frame and I only really need a 2 car trailer but a 3 car would be better as long as I keep it under cdl its a 40 ft trailer

[Prematuregrey]

Wow, be careful with that thing and I would check on the law in your state on what the requirements are. I'd definitely put some gussets on the neck of that thing. It doesn't look very sturdy to me but if you think you can make it work, more power to ya. Check what weight that hitch is rated at as well. It may be only a 10-15k hitch/neck and if that's the case, it could be overloaded with just a single car on it. I don't think I'd let any of my vehicles ride on it no matter what mods you do. Just my 2 cents.

[Masstowingllc]

Yea I think its 1/4 inch or half inch frame I am shooting for a 2 car with a 14,000-22,000 gvwr I need to check it out I haven't seen it in person yet so it's hard to say for a pic but I definitely am with you on welding some braces everywhere to reinforce this trailer all around I would rather have it stronger then needed then not strong enough! I am gonna add some cross beams as well to add extra strength but for the most part we tow and transport small cars we never do any cars more then 4,000 lbs each and that's on the high end we usually just do like civics and smaller cars for the most part or like one SUV and 2 compact cars so we would be under 14,000 lbs on deck with 3 cars on deck. Which I think this trailer will handle after I modify it a little bit with stronger axels if need be and springs, and with some cross beams added and 12 gauge steel decking! How can I figure out what this trailers rated for as it is?